(3) Smooth red wines

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: earthy and smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

I got this wine to go with the spaghetti I made tonight, and I was reminded how much I love a Ripasso. This one was good, not great, and with my tomato dish, the strong acid and dense red fruit was a nice companion. The earthy nose was better than the sharp mouth, but more complex tannins and a slightly softer taste would have pushed this wine a few notches higher for me. But for $13, it wasn’t a bad buy, and I’d get it again – unless there was another Ripasso for the same price I hadn’t yet tried. ($13)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Even though the Nabers have adopted the Aussie spelling for their wine, the 2006 Shiraz is not quite as bold or over the top as the name might suggest. The 2006 from Flat Creek is a blend of 75% Shiraz and 25% Tempranillo, and the Tempranillo contributes aromas and flavors of plums and leather to the cherry notes brought by the Shiraz. The wine also displays toasted barrel aromas, such as mocha and coffee, on top of this medium-full bodied wine. ($22)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

With a name developed as a play on the copyrighted Italian wine moniker, Super Tuscan, Flat Creek Estate’s own Super Texan is a Sangiovese based blend that offers real varietal character. Opening with cherry, smoke, leather, and a little black olive, this wine is all Sangiovese. In the mouth the wine sticks to its Sangiovese backbone with dark, dried fruit, leather, and very fine grained tannin. This wine is definitely food friendly and would be welcome accompaniment for grilled meat or tomato based pasta dishes. ($20)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

I found this California blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon at the HEB grocery store tonight for $8. I was super-excited to find such a great wine for the money until my girlfriend reminded me that it normally costs around $14. Oh well. The Joe Blow 2005 Red has a bit of pepper (from the Syrah), blackberry, tobacco, and chocolate on the nose, and rich fruit (from the Zin) in the mouth. With a medium-full body, mild tannins, and a touch of acid, this is a versatile house wine. The Joe Blow 2005 California White wine is very nice as well. ($12-14)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

I had this wine while watching Hamlet 2 (starring the fantastic British comedian Steve Coogan) last night at the Alamo Drafthouse South in Austin. I don’t know the vintage, but this wine was the oakiest, weirdest, grossest wine I can remember having in recent history. Do not buy it. Do not drink it. Trust me. This is the first 0-star review this site has given.

Hamlet 2, however, comes highly recommended by me, as are some of Coogan’s other works, such as I’m Alan Partridge and Tristram Shandy (so long as you can handle irreverent comedies). That’s right, you just read a love-fest for Steve Coogan thinly veiled as a wine review. Bully for you. ($8)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Like the 2006 Roogle Red (a delicious three-grape blend of Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon), the 2006 Roogle Shiraz was rated 90 points by Parker and only cost me $10. This wine is from South Eastern Australia, and like most Shiraz from the area, it is inky, concentrated, and powerful. Kept in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months, the Roogle Shiraz is medium-full bodied, with less tannins and acid than the Roogle Red. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, and a touch of chocolate make this a great cocktail and contemplation wine. ($10)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

I picked this wine up today from the store because I saw it was rated 90 points by Mr. Robert Parker, and why would anyone pass up a 90-pt Parker $10 wine — whether you like his taste or not. And I have to say, I liked this wine very much. The South Eastern Australian 2006 Roogle Red is 50% Shiraz, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is aged in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months. Roogle Red is medium-full bodied, with dark but not super-ripe fruit, and healthy tannins and acid. This wine is from R Wines (of Dan Philips and Chris Ringland), which includes labels such as 3 Rings, Roogle, Evil, and Bitch. Buy this wine if you see it, or maybe pick up a half-case. ($9-10)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

This is my favorite wine that I can get for $7 in multiple places around town. Made with 85% Castelao, 7.5% Tempranillo, and 7.5% Syrah, it is a great table and food wine with enough acid to pair with many types of dishes. Red fruit prevails in the nose and mouth. This wine is simple, but pleasant and drinkable, especially for the money. ($7-8)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Pascual Toso is becoming one of my go-to wineries from Argentina. The Pascual Toso 2006 Malbec we reviewed earlier is truly one of the wine bargains of the summer. This reserve Cabernet is also a bottle worth hunting down. The wine is a dark cherry color with a nose full of cherry, plum, and cassis, with a little coffee and mint thrown in for good measure. In the mouth, this is a medium bodied wine with plenty of fine grain tannins. The red fruit and sweet oak ride for a long finish. ($13-15)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Sideways did a lot to discourage Merlot sales, but this 2005 from Medoc might help folks get over their Merlot anxiety. Made from 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, this wine offers a nose of spiced cherries and cassis. In the glass, the dark red fruit is supported by an ample structure of fine grained tannin. Drink this wine tonight or hold it for a year or two to see what the 2005 vintage was all about. This wine is an inexpensive way to try a great vintage. ($17-22)